About postcards

Although picture postcards first appeared in the 1890s, it wasn’t until very early in the 20th century that the format was used for commercial portraiture.

But not all postcards were taken by professionals. Amateur photographers could buy sensitised cards on which to print their own postcards, and in 1903, Kodak introduced a popular folding camera designed to take postcard-sized prints.

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The National Science and Media Museum explores the science and culture of light and sound technologies and their impact on our lives. On this blog we share behind-the-scenes stories, coverage of our exhibitions, festivals and events, and hidden treasures from our world-class collection.